1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system that allows a designer of graphics to use an electronic design guide to constrain or limit the path of an electronic tool, such as an electronic paint brush, as well as limit the application of paint and, more particularly, to a system that provides a design guide that is independently movable from the tool being used and which can be used at the same time as the tool to constrain the ink or paint produced for the tool to a path along an edge of the guide and can be used to block or mask out portions of the drawing from receiving ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional paint or graphical compositing programs the user has a variety drawing tools, such as paint brushes, pens, etc., that allow the user to easily create drawings, paintings, eventually incorporating special graphic effects. When used for such special effects the painting software allows the user to create drawings with such graphics much faster with more flexibility, allows reuse of previous drawings and allows editing changes more easily and cleanly than with conventional non-electronic drawing tools, such as a pencil and paper.
The conventional programs also have a variety of shapes or objects that can be selected and placed within the geometrical layer of a drawing. These objects, such as circles, triangles, rectangles, etc. can be sized and oriented as desired by the user using an input control device such as a mouse. After positioning, etc. the user can make the object part of the canvas of the drawing by xe2x80x9capplyingxe2x80x9d it, thus providing the drawing with lines of a desired shape. In using such objects the user first selects and positions the object using a conventional menu and input control device, such as the mouse, and then either designates all or part of the object to become part of the drawing. That is, the same input device is used to select and place the object as well as to place ink on the drawing associated with the tool. The user is also limited to the lines made by the object and if the lines of the drawing need to be a different shape the user must select, place and size another object.
In contrast to electronic drawing, when a graphical designer is drawing using non-electronic drawing tools like a pencil and a design guide, such as a french curve, the user can move both the design guide and the drawing tool at the same time. This allows the user to use the guide as an edge for constraining the drawing tool and as a mask to block the ink from certain areas, and also allows the user to constantly adjust the position of the guide to change the shape of the graphic as the drawing progresses.
The use of non-electronic design guides and drawing tools allows the user to produce certain types of drawings much faster that can be produced with electronic tools and allows the user enhanced control over the drawing process in such situations.
What is needed is a system that brings the two handed or simultaneous control of the design guide and drawing tool to the user as well as the ability to constrain or limit the ink with the guide.
It is an object of the present invention to give the user of electronic drawing systems increased flexibility in drawing lines and painting areas.
It is another object of the present invention to give the user of an electronic drawing program the commonly used non-electronic drawing tools, such as a french curve or a sweep or a mask commonly called a frisket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the user of an electronic drawing program the capability of using and moving an electronic design guide, such as a french curve, at the same time that the user is using an electronic drawing tool, such as a paint brush.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an electronic drawing guide that constrains the path of a drawing tool to the drawing guide.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic drawing guide that can be used as a mask to block the painting of a drawing with a drawing tool.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a design guide that can be used as both a line constraining tool and as a paint blocking tool at the same time.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide the user with a more natural interaction with the drawing program by providing the sweeps, french curves and other design guides that are commonly used tools in a design environment, which may be less precise, but which artists in general tend to understand better than the usual computer splines (with CVs), making it easier to realize nice looking curves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the user with more functionality by providing a snap painting action that allows the user to easily trace a smooth curve, while adding some character to it by controlling easily (over stroking) the exact xe2x80x9ctouchxe2x80x9d one wants to give to the drawing tool.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frisket or masking tool that allows control of the mask more easily by getting rid of it or adjusting it in an instant, instead of having to switch tools back and forth.
It is also an object to combine masking and snap painting to allow the user to provide nice looking shape edges on one side of a precise contour, with an effect, such as a feathered look provided by the particular drawing tool, on the other side, allowing xe2x80x9caura effectsxe2x80x9d which are unique to the combination of both techniques and not achievable with physical equivalent accessories.
The above objects can be attained by a system that allows the user to use the geometry layer of a drawing program as a design guide, such as a french curve. The system allows the design guide and a drawing tool, such as a paint brush, represented by a cursor in the display to be moved about within the drawing simultaneously using two different input control devices, such as a mouse and an electronic stylus/tablet. The design guide can then be used to block paint, or to mask paint from being applied to the drawing. The system also can be set to constrain the path of the ink applied by the drawing tool to the edge of the drawing guide even as the guide is moved. Both the constraining of the ink and the masking can also be performed simultaneously.
These together with other objects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.